Summertime is fort building time. What better way to spend a hot afternoon than nestled in a cool fort reading books? Summer reading calls for something a little special, something out of the ordinary, something brimming with adventure, imagination, creativity, and a bit of childhood magic!
Fort-Themed Picture Books
- Fort Building Time by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Abigail Halpin
- The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier and Sonia Sánchez
- The Fort that Jack Built by Boni Ashburn and Brett Helquist
Storytime Fort for Kids
The children found me in today’s storytime spot – in our new Storytime Fort! It was so simple to make – I took a few blankets (made with our Orchard & Hive fabric, of course!) and threw them over a long table. String lights and cushions turned our blanket fort into a cozy place for reading.
Once we were all settled, we began to read. “Fort Building Time” started storytime and immediately, the kids were hooked. They loved to see all the different types of forts – sandcastle forts, forest forts, secret forts – their imaginations went wild!
The children were familiar with The Little Red Hen folktale, as they had read our Rebus Reading: Folktales unit, so they loved comparing “The Little Red Fort” to this classic tale. And after reading “The Fort that Jack Built” we all looked around at one another and agreed that yes, a fort was better when shared.
Creative Play: DIY Fort-Building STEM Activity
What kind of fort would you build?
We started with a question and then let our imaginations grow! One child said, a fort that looks like a pirate ship! Another said, what about a fairy fort, found somewhere deep in an enchanted forest. I suggested a hive fort for zippy bumblebees.
I had gathered all the extra craft supplies we have at the orchard and placed them on our table. There were small cardboard boxes from shipments we had received, fabric squares leftover from our pattern swatches, construction paper, paint, markers, crayons, scissor, glue, and more! Then, the kids got creative. They picked a theme, then built a fort!
Arctic Fort
Add half a Styrofoam ball for an “igloo”. Provide cotton balls, q-tips, and white felt to bring the arctic fort to life.
Beach Fort
Use brown clay to mold a sandcastle fort. Add sand or brown rice, seashells, and tongue depressor “driftwood”.
Jungle Fort
Build a jungle fort using sticks, twigs, leaves, grass. Use twine or rope to create vines, brown rice for dirt or sand, and add play jungle animal figurines.
Fairy Fort
Use a pre-made or store-bought fairy door. Build a fort around it. Add materials like dried flowers, miniature craft mushrooms, moss, twigs, and of course – fairies!
Pirate Fort
Use Popsicle sticks or tongue depressor “logs” to build a pirate ship fort. Design your pirate flag using fabric scraps or felt and use your fort to protect a pirate treasure of your choice.
Hive Fort
Shape and stack yellow pipe cleaners into a hive shape. Add small craft bees and flowers. Use yellow sponges to make a DIY “honeycomb”.
Choose Your Own Fort!
Have children use their imaginations to design their own fort theme! Use recycled craft materials and found objects for easy and inexpensive building materials. Let your imaginations run wild!
Was this activity perfect? No! Not at all. Some forts tumbled to the ground, the pirate ship fort sank a time or two, but each time, we began again. Because making messes and mistakes is all part of the process!
Kids Storytelling Activity
This activity was too fun to contain their creativity, and their imaginations spilled over. Once their forts were done, they had to come up with their own story!
What happens in your fort? Who lives there? What do they do? What obstacles might they face?
The pirates used the pirate fort to guard their buried treasure. The fairy fort is where the fairies of the forest live; inside, they are busy preparing for the next season – making paper snowflakes for winter, small flowers for spring, multi-colored leaves for autumn. An arctic fort is where a polar bear goes for his annual ice fishing trip!
Farewell from the Storytime Fort
Remember: A good fort and a good story can turn any ordinary afternoon into a tiny adventure. Thank you for building and imagining with me today.
Until next time, happy reading!
Granny Smith
Have you built a fort? What stories did it tell? Leave a comment below or share your story with @orchardandhiveco. We can’t wait to see what you create!
stem paper craft
Build a Fort
If you’d like to keep the creativity going, our Build a Fort STEM Paper Craft is a wonderful way to extend the fun. Each child gets their own blueprint and a set of paper “building materials,” turning a simple craft project into a hands‑on engineering challenge. With printable pieces that fit together like a puzzle, kids can recreate the fort from their storytime adventure or design a keepsake they’ll be proud to take home and display.
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